By Habil Onyango
Homa Bay County Executive Committee Member for Finance, Solomon Obiero, has challenged Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga to resign if he intends to vie for the county’s top seat in the 2027 general elections.
Obiero stated that Magwanga cannot continue to serve and earn a salary as Deputy Governor while simultaneously opposing his boss, Governor Gladys Wanga, as he prepares to contest her in the upcoming elections.
“If Magwanga has decided to run against the Governor in the 2027 elections, let him resign first. He cannot be earning a salary as Deputy Governor while also backbiting his boss,” Obiero said.
“How can someone start early campaigning while still serving as Deputy Governor? Magwanga should leave the office and openly face us in the next general elections,” he added.
According to Obiero, the upcoming elections will focus on individuals’ past development achievements while in office.
“Magwanga should inform us about what he has accomplished for the people while serving as Homa Bay County Deputy Governor and as the Agriculture Minister,” he said.
For some time, Magwanga has publicly criticized Wanga’s re-election bid, claiming she has failed to serve the people of Homa Bay. He has declared his intention to challenge her in the 2027 elections, stating that Wanga has mismanaged the county, leaving it in disarray and unable to pay contractors or meet basic operational needs.
“Wanga is a one-term governor, and her time is up. I sacrificed to help you become governor, but you are ungrateful. Now it is time for payback,” Magwanga said.
Deputy Governor’s Office Remains Closed
Magwanga’s office has remained closed since a fallout last year after Wanga relieved him of his duties as CEC for Agriculture and Livestock Development.
“My office is still closed, and my staff have no access to it. What kind of management is this? You cannot close a public office to deny the holder access. This is a violation of the Constitution. But it is only a matter of time before the people of Homa Bay lock you out through the ballot. Your time is up, and you are going home,” he asserted.
Magwanga described the closure as a “calculated political power play aimed at undermining my office and obstructing the functions of county governance.” He emphasized that no individual holds public office as personal property, noting that such offices are temporarily held on behalf of the people.
He also criticized Wanga’s decision to dismiss CEC Dr. Peter Ogalo, who was in charge of Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development, and to nominate Joseph Mitito as his replacement. Magwanga asserted that this was an abuse of the MOU they had signed and a direct insult to him.
Recently, Ogalo obtained a court order restraining the governor from filling the position until the matter is resolved.
“Let’s be clear; it was I who brought Ogalo into the Cabinet. Sacking him without any consultation or reason is a direct affront to me. Let’s see how this ends,” Magwanga said.
The rift between Wanga, who also serves as the ODM National Chairperson, and Magwanga erupted during the Kasipul by-election, where the Deputy Governor supported an independent candidate, Philip Aroko, against the party’s preferred candidate, Boyd Were.
Last year, Wanga acknowledged divisions within her government and promised to take action against officials who criticize her administration while still serving in it. Speaking at a funeral in Homa Bay, Wanga expressed her readiness to face her opponents in the 2027 gubernatorial race, describing it as a “battle royal.” She urged those dissatisfied with her leadership to leave so that she could bring in new people.
Obiero was speaking at Samanga Primary School playgrounds, where he presided over the grand launch of the Auma Nygoro Educational Fund, which saw over 1,000 students benefit from bursary allocations.
